Non-bleeding dispensers for powdered materials and the like



g- 4, 1970 J. M. KATZ 3,522,902

NON-BLEEDING DISPENSERS FOR POWDERED MATERIALS AND THE LIKE Filed July 5. 1968 INVENTOR, JACOB M. KATZ/ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,522,902 NON-BLEEDING DISPENSERS FOR POWDERED MATERIALS AND THE LIKE Jacob M. Katz, 155 W. 68th St., New York, N.Y. 10023 Filed July 5, 1968, Ser. No. 742,695 Int. Cl. Gtllf 11/10 US. Cl. 222370 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The bottom wall of a cylindrical supply-holding receptacle and an internal ring flange having a radially extending tab, locate and hold a disc rotor plate rotatably fitted and in wiping contact at the bottom of the containers interior. The tab prevents bleeding upon discharge, which is limited to a measured quantity delivered in hand, at all times. A tubular handle below the receptacle is rotatable to effect a discharge; said rotor turning with said handle. Radial vanes dividing said tubular handle, present equi-spaced flexible tabs which cooperate with grooves in a ring pad on the receptacles undersurface to index the device to attain proper discharge positions. A discharge hole in the bottom wall of the receptacle leads to the handles interior. A series of equi-spaced identical holes through the rotor, register successively with the hole in said bottom wall when said flexible tabs enter said grooves. The number of said tabs is the same as the number of holes through the rotor. The number of discharges per revolution of the handle, is equal to the number of holes in the rotor, so a fraction of a turn will effect a discharge, always equal to the volumetric capacity of a hole in the rotors. The number of parts, when molded, is kept to a minimum, and the only tool necessary to effect assembly, is a screw driver for a single screw.

The present invention relates to dispensers for powdered materials and the like, and is adapted for use to dispense soap powder in washrooms, talcum powder in bathrooms, medicated foot powder in chiropodists examination rooms, and the like.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved dispenser of the character mentioned, which will deliver into a hand positioned below it, a measured quantity of powdered soap or other granulated material stored in the device, at each partial turn of a tubular handle. Should handle movement be slowed or interrupted, no more than such measured amount will be discharged, hence the device is non-bleeding.

Another object thereof is to provide a novel and improved dispenser construction, all of whose parts may be of plastic in the main, capable of being molded and then easily assembled, and which is very simple in structure, reasonably cheap to manufacture, easy to operate by a partial turn of its handle member through which the discharge takes place with indication of proper positions for discharge, and which is efiicient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

For one practice of this invention, the cylindrical receptacle of the dispensing device, used for storing the powder supply, has a flat bottom wall, on which, interior said receptacle, is a rotor disc plate of appreciable thickness. This rotor plate has a series of identical, equispaced openings around a circle concentric with center, which register successively with a similar opening through the receptacles "bottom wall. The top of the rotor has a cylindrical central boss, and a perimetrical upward flange ice of triangular cross-section which is in rotatable fit with the receptacles upright peripheral wall. An internal ring integral with said wall, is in wiping contact with said upward flange, and is provided with an inwardly extending tab or lug which is in wiping contact with the upper surface of the rotor and the peripheral surface of said boss; said tab being directly above the opening in the bottom wall of the receptacle and adapted to cover one complete opening in the rotor; such overlapping positions for the rotor being determined with an indexing means having cooperating parts on the underside of the receptacles bottom wall and on partitions dividing a tubular handle position concentrically below the receptacle, into sectors. Said tubular handle and the rotor are arranged to turn together. A vane formation extending upwardly from said boss, serves as an agitator. A bracket on the outside of the receptacle, serves to mount it onto a wall, and a releasable cover locked to the receptacle, is also provided.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corressponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a dispensing device embodying the teachings of this invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken at line 2--2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the operating turn handle.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view looking at the bottom of the dispenser body which is the receptacle for holding the powder supply.

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the rotor member which turns with the operating handle.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of said rotor.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the seal which prevents bleeding at the discharge of material from said device.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the agitator carried by the rotor.

In the drawing, the dispensing device designated generally by the numeral 15, includes an upright cylindrical receptacle to house a powder supply. A disc plate rotor indicated generally by the numeral 17, rests on the bottom wall 18 of the receptacle, in which it is fitted to rotate about an axis generally central of the device. There is a sealing ring 19, which is a downwardly sloping internal flange in said receptacle and may be molded integral therewith. This flange has a radially inward tab 19. Agitator vanes 20, set in crossed relation into slots in a boss 21 atop the rotor. An inverted tubular handle 22, of frustoconical shape, has internal passages determined by angularly equi-spaced radial partitions 2326 which extend from a central hub 27 having a central square socket 28, into Which engagingly sets a square hub 29 extending downwardly from the rotor plate, so the rotor will turn with the handle. A screw 30 maintains said rotor and handle in assembly. The receptacle 16 has an outer mounting bracket 31 through whose holes 32, screws are inserted from within the receptacle, into the wall the device is to be affixed to. The mouth of said receptacle has a cover or plug 33 with lock means 34 to releasably secure it, so the device is tamper and pilfer proof, or such closure may be the security plug structure set forth in my Pat. No. 3,398,852 dated Aug. 27, 1969.

The rotor 17, in the embodiment shown, has four identical slots 35-38 therethrough which are equi-spaced in a circle. The bottom of the receptacle 16 has a similar slot with which said series of slots 35-38 successively register as the rotor 17 is turned. Said bottom wall 18 has a central hole 41 to serve as a bearing for the upper cylindrical portion 40 on the extension 29. Surrounding the hole 41 on the undersurface of the receptacles bottom 3 wall, is a circular pad 42 which is provided with the equispaced radial grooves 43-46. Each of the vanes 23-26 within the handle 22, have extending from the top edge, a resilient tab. These are indicated respectively by the vane number primed, id est, they are 23'-26, which are adapted to enter said grooves 43-46 simultaneously, whereupon the slot 39 is in registry with one of the series of slots 35-38. Each of said slots 35-38 is between two of the partition vanes of the handle 22. The tab 19' of the sealing ring 19, is in wiping contact with the cylindrical surface 21' of the boss 21, and the upper surface of the rotor plate 17. The underside of the ring flange 19 is in wiping contact with the interior surface of the flange 17' which is of triangular cross-section. This maintains the peripheral surface of the rotor free of grit. The construction affords a chamber for the rotor 17, in which it fits true and all in contact therewith is in wiping contact.

It is important to note that in order to avoid bleeding, the distance of separation successive rotor slots must be at least equal to the length of the slot 39 in the receptacles bottom 18, and that the width of the sealing tab 19' along the lane of the rotor slots must at least be equal to the length of said slot 39 plus twice the length of a rotor slot, and said tab shall be in symmetry with said slot 39.

In operation, the opening of the series in the rotor 17, which is in registry with the opening 39 in the receptacles floor wall 18, empties out through a passage through the tubular handle 22, while all the others of said series are filled. The presence of the tab 19 over that opening which is being emptied due to gravity, prevents bleeding because it allows only the contents of the slot in registry with slot 39, to be emptied, and such discharge will always be the volumetric capacity of one slot in the rotor. Turning the handle, causes the flexible tabs 23-26' to bend, leave the grooves 43-46 respectively, and then again to enter said grooves when the handle is given a quarter turn. Their snap in signals the operator to know the proper position to get a measured discharge of powder. If desired, this indexing can be had by having sockets at each groove position in the pad 42, and spring plungers in place of the flexible tabs 2326' to cooperate therewith, as is readily evident without further illustration for those versed in the mechanical arts, but such latter construction involves many parts and a relatively expensive assembly problem, as compared to the use of the tabs and grooves scheme herein shown.

When made of plastic and the sealing ring 19 is made integral with the receptacle 16, the bottom wall 18 is a separate member cemented on after the rotor 17 is inserted against said ring. Said bottom wall is moulded with its integral pad 42, the mold providing the forming of the grooves 43-46. All of the handle structure 22 shown in FIG. 3 is molded in one piece. The entire rotor 17 is molded in one piece and all its slots provided by the die. The structure shown becomes reasonably cheap to manufacture, and the assembly is simple, requiring only a screw driver to set the screw 30.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore desired and intended that the embodiment herein shall be deemed merely illustrative and not restrictive.

I claim:

1. A powder dispensing device of the character described, comprising an upright receptacle having a cylindrical interior and a floor wall, a rotor disc of predetermined thickness resting on said floor wall and fitted to rotate about an axis; said rotor having a plurality of identical, equi-spaced openings therethrough along a circle concentric with said axis; said openings, at the upper surface of the rotor, being away from the central region of the upper surface of the rotor, an inward ring flange interior the receptacle; the underface of said flange being in wiping contact with the upper surface of the rotor, leaving said openings in the rotor exposed; said ring flange having an inward radially extending tab in wiping contact with the upper surface of the rotor, and adapted to successively close said openings in the rotor when the rotor is turned; said tab being outward of said central region; only said flange and tab being in wiping contact with the upper surface of the rotor; the floor wall of the receptacle having an opening directly below said tab and in symmetrical relation therewith; the openings in the rotor being adapted to successively register with said floor wall opening when the rotor is turned; the width of said tab along said circle being at least equal to the length of the opening in the floor wall plus twice the length of an opening in the rotor, a tubular handle member below the receptacle, connected concentrically to the rotor and having an identical plurality of equi-angularly spaced partitions, each partition having a flexible tab extending upwardly therefrom; the underside of the floor wall of the receptacle having an identical plurality of equi-angularly spaced grooves; said flexible tabs being bent and flexed when out of said grooves and adapted to simultaneously enter said grooves and be releasably engaged therein respecti-vely upon turning said handle to a position whereat an opening in the rotor is in registry with the opening in the floor wall of the receptacle.

2. A dispensing device as defined in claim 1, wherein the handle, its partitions and tabs comprise an integral molded structure of plastic.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 909,657 l/l909 Patterson 2'22--370 X 2,494,141 l/l950 Perrin et al. 222342 X 2,547,868 4/1951 Judson 222342 X 2,680,540 6/1954 Probasco 222-349 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner H. S. LANE, Assistant Examiner 

